Was Lumley campaign good for Gurkhas?

[Gerald]

Ragprasad Purja (right) says he is forever grateful to Joanna Lumley

Two years ago actress Joanna Lumley helped Gurkhas who retired before 1997 win the right to settle in the UK. Gurkha welfare groups and the Home office estimate that about 8,000 former soldiers and their families have since moved to Britain. But many have struggled in the UK, as the BBC's Alastair Lawson reports.

Nowhere can the influx of Gurkhas into Britain be more clearly seen than in the British military town of Aldershot.

The local authority estimates that one in 10 of the town's 90,000 residents comes from Nepal - many as a direct result of the campaign Ms Lumley helped lead.

If the British Gurkha Welfare Society (BGWS) is to be believed, Joanna Lumley's campaign has been a disaster, resulting in thousands of elderly and infirm Gurkha pensioners - most unable to speak English - living in poor accommodation and relying on state handouts to survive.

The actress herself has broken a strictly-observed silence over criticisms of her campaign to release a statement to the BBC.

"Our campaign had moral right on our side," the statement said, "and the vast majority of the British public wanted the government to amend the law to allow Gurkhas to settle in the UK.

"Debts of honour are not easy to translate or quantify into pounds and pence, and some MPs have criticised our campaign for not considering the potential financial impact on the exchequer. Yet the government did consider this at the time, and decided that our campaign arguments vanquished the issues of pure cost."

Ms Lumley's supporters insist that her campaign successfully reversed decades of discrimination against older Gurkhas who fought for the British army yet were denied the right to retire in the UK.

But the BGWS argues that it would be far more cost-effective if retired Gurkhas were paid better pensions and encouraged to stay in Nepal rather than pursue the more expensive option of emigrating to the UK to take advantage of state pensions, housing benefit and free health care.

The organisation says that from the outset its campaign has been different from that waged by Ms Lumley and her supporters - it argued that fair pensions and the right of former Gurkhas to retire in the UK were equally important, whereas the emphasis of her campaign was on resettlement rights.

About 25,000 Gurkhas who retired before 1997 still get only about a third of the amount of pension received by their British and Commonwealth former comrades, despite winning the right to live in Britain.

In 2007, the pension rules were changed to give Gurkha soldiers who retired after 1997 equal pension rights with other UK service personnel.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-13372026


Note: 30 July 2011 Last updated at 23:09 GMT

[Jimbuna]

Yes.....what do you think?

[Stealhead]

I think it is fair they served just like the British citizens that served
they should get the same pensions if they want to stay in England.I do agree with the idea of encouraging them to live in Nepal but only if they want to they should not be forced.

I think they might be more attracted to going back to Nepal Im sure the pension they get would allow them to live nicely there and have their own business even if they wanted.

This is interesting to me as in the US if a foreign national(there are actually many in our military)serves for I think it is 4 years they are able to become a naturalized citizen after they take
the test and oath and many of them stay in the military for much longer after they gained citizenship.I guess they do not do this in England?

[Gerald]

Originally Posted by jimbuna

Yes.....what do you think?

Are they remain in the UK, so it is reasonable to give them the same benefits as others, but they will move, then it's a totally different situation.

Are they remain in the UK, so it is reasonable to give them the same benefits as others, but they will move, then it's a totally different situation.

Why?
If a British ex-serviceman decided to ...I don't know....buy Greece perhaps and move there, should he have his pension cut?

[Gerald]

Can you afford to buy Greece, you need no pension,

Can you afford to buy Greece, you need no pension

So if an ex-serviceman has money he must lose the pension he earned.
Well done vendor

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by Tribesman

So if an ex-serviceman has money he must lose the pension he earned.
Well done vendor

Quite....if I moved away I'd hate to have my pension taken away because not only did I earn it but I also payed a substantial sum towards it over the years.

Best send a message out to all Brit expats...come home quick before you lose your pension entitlement.

[Gerald]

Substantive issue was Gurkhas, who have not lived and worked in the UK all the time!

[Jimbuna]

Not convinced the issue about length of time in the UK was relevant once it had been established they qualified for pensions on the grounds of time in British armed forces service.

[antikristuseke]

They fought and died for the UK, that bloody well should be enough to secure them the same benefits as other servicemen.

[Gerald]

Apparently, the same question focused wrong, I have never claimed the opposite, for good sake...

[Lord Justice]

Originally Posted by Vendor

most unable to speak English - living in poor accommodation

Whilst this statement may be just to the average Brit, In the Gurkha's eye or more so their relatives view, It does however outweigh the poverty in their homeland.

Originally Posted by antikristuseke

They fought and died for the UK,

Indeed, they are an elite outfit in there own right , a good bunch of lads, to which I had privilege serving alongside and witnessing first hand. There was much admiration from both our regiments. (mostly detachments at the time) One thing that always struck with me was their speed to fully load a magazine, (bomb up) they spent great emphasis on this. Just a point to note. I am pleased they are here. If the French Foreign Legion can cough up so can the UK.

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by Lord Justice

Whilst this statement may be just to the average Brit, In the Gurkha's eye or more so their relatives view, It does however outweigh the poverty in their homeland.

Indeed, they are an elite outfit in there own right , a good bunch of lads, to which I had privilege serving alongside and witnessing first hand. There was much admiration from both our regiments. (mostly detachments at the time) One thing that always struck with me was their speed to fully load a magazine, (bomb up) they spent great emphasis on this. Just a point to note. I am pleased they are here. If the French Foreign Legion can cough up so can the UK.

'Elite' indeed....and feared and respected by all who faced them in combat.

~SALUTE~

Substantive issue was Gurkhas, who have not lived and worked in the UK all the time!

Since the pension payments are relative to length of service that is absolute nonsense Vendor.